Manuscripts

Input Guidelines -- check for more recent versions under the Metadata Creation heading. Here you will also find specific information for various types of materials, such as legal materials, receipts, railroad pamphlets, etc...

Spreadsheet Registry which includes templates for transforming different spreadsheets into MODS, and instructions on which spreadsheets to use for different types of materials.

The information below this point is outdated, but we are retaining it for reference purposes.

Copy the File:Ms template.xlsx Excel spreadsheet to the collection folder, Metadata subfolder on the S drive where you will be working. This spreadsheet lives in Digital Projects\Administration\TEMPLATES\ also, on the S drive.

Use the guidelines set forth by Mary Alexander File:Db guidelines.docx (also in the TEMPLATES directory: db_guidelines.docx); do not fill in Date ISO, Creator or Funding Information.
See these guidelines for date formatting as well.

Some information to put into the spreadsheet will be found in the finding aid. The Manuscript number is the number of the collection finding aid you want to check. Look here [[1]] and match up the name of the collection this came from with the name of the finding aid, then check the number to make sure it's the same one.

If the finding aid is not online, check with Donelly Lancaster to see if there is one. If there is not, follow her instructions for the data that you would otherwise find there.

This data includes:

Title

Extent (include number of pages, also; not just number of items.)

Date

Collection number (this is the Manuscript number)

Provenance (format as "Gift of ___, [year here]")

abstract (read this -- if it does not apply to the item specifically, write a short description of the content of the letter.)

biographical note

scope note (read this -- if it does not apply to the item specifically, do not include)

container information (box number, folder number)

From the letter itself:

Dates

sender

recipient

location of sender

location of recipient (Google the county if necessary, fill in these in the LCSH format indicated)